The Malling School Alumni

We are always happy to hear about the many successes of our former students and encourage them to stay in touch with us.

Jamie-Lousie Robinson is in her final year at Canterbury Christ Church University. She came back to The Malling School recently to help Mrs Butler with a performing arts workshop.

Here is her story:

Jamie-Louise Louise Robison joined The Malling School in Year 7 in September 2003 and left after Sixth Form at the end of the summer term, 2010. She studied BTEC Performing Arts and even though she had taken small parts in school plays up until that point, usually playing a clown or some other minor part, she also dabbled in rock ‘n’ roll dance and bhangra, it wasn’t until Year 13 that she finally realised that she could act, when she took a lead role in The Dumb Waiter.

Jamie’s funniest memory of her time at The Malling School is of the day she was operating the smoke machine for a sixth form horror show performance when she accidentally set off the fire alarm. She will never forget the sight of ghosts and zombies lining up on the muga!

Now in her final year of a BA Honours degree course in Performing Arts at Canterbury Christ Church University, Jamie says that she had never even thought about going to uni until Year 13. Returning to school last week to help Mrs Butler with a Year 11 workshop, Jamie told us how her 3 years at uni have flown by and about all the fantastic opportunities she has had to study acting, dance, stage management, theatre design, costume and stage makeup, directing and the technical side. Before she graduates this summer and becomes Jamie-Louise Robinson BA, Jamie’s own play will be performed at The Quarterhouse Theatre in Folkestone in March. As both writer and director of the play, Jamie is looking forward to the performance. She has promised to let us know the dates so that we can go along to support her.

Robbie Farnham-Rose is currently pursuing his career with the University of Alabama, but keeps in close contact with teachers and students at The Malling School.

Read about Robbie's progress here:

18 year old Robbie Farnham-Rose from Borough Green is well on his way to becoming a world class elite athlete thanks to his amazing sporting talent, but in no small part also because of the tremendous support of The Malling School. Robbie is an international 1500 metre runner and already a veteran of the Under 20 Commonwealth Games and the Youth Olympics. He has also represented his country as part of the Team GB cross country team.

The next stage of his already glittering career takes him to the USA courtesy of a Track and Field Scholarship at the University of Alabama, where sport is very big business. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) awarded Robbie the scholarship, worth $45,000 per year. The course is a three year graduate programme in Sports Science leading to a Bachelor of Science degree. Whilst studying, Robbie will enjoy unrivalled sporting facilities and work alongside future Olympians from all over the world.

Until July, Robbie was in the Sixth Form at The Malling School studying BTEC Sports Studies, fitting his education in around track and field fixtures. Along with fellow students, Robbie began to apply to British universities through UCAS and was soon offered an elite sports scholarship at St Mary’s College in Twickenham, launch pad of so many successful young sportsmen and women. Along the way, Robbie had also been talent spotted by the Kenyan national long distance running team.

Then suddenly the NCAA offer came up. Recognising immediately the significance of such an opportunity for the young British athlete to train in a world class environment and alongside other rising sports stars, staff at The Malling School pulled out all the stops to ensure Robbie was accepted. Already settled in Alabama, Robbie has been busy perfecting his cycling, too, since he has found this the only efficient way to get around the massive campus. Back in Borough Green, Robbie’s mother, Mrs Rose, said: “I would especially like to thank you Mr Williams for the massive input you gave in helping Robbie to achieve his goal. I honestly can't thank you enough. Everyone at The Malling School was absolutely amazing!” Robbie himself, despite his many sporting accolades, remains a very down to earth young man, modest and unassuming and well aware of the debt of gratitude he owes to his former school. As he flew to Alabama he sent one final message to the school’s PE department: “Thank you for all your support”.